Lots of Tricks but No Magic ; the Prestige Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale Certificate: 12a Running Time: 2hrs 10mins Breaking and Entering Director: Anthony Minghella Starring: Jude Law, Juliette Binoche Certificate: 15 Running Time: 1hr 58mins Starter for Ten Director: Tom Vaughan Starring: James Mcavoy Certificate: 12a Running Time: 1hr 36mins

Summary

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Magic tricks, we learn in Christopher Nolan's new film, The Prestige, traditionally come in three parts.

There is 'the pledge', when the audience is shown something perfectly ordinary, like a hat or a dove or a rabbit. Then there is 'the turn', when something extraordinary happens to that object, such as it disappearing or being sawn in half.

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Lots of Tricks but No Magic ; the Prestige Director: Christopher Nolan Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale Certificate: 12a Running Time: 2hrs 10mins Breaking and Entering Director: Anthony Minghella Starring: Jude Law, Juliette Binoche Certificate: 15 Running Time: 1hr 58mins Starter for Ten Director: Tom Vaughan Starring: James Mcavoy Certificate: 12a Running Time: 1hr 36mins

Finally, there is 'the prestige', the big finale, the climactic fanfare moment when whatever has disappeared or been sawn in half magically rematerialises, totally unscathed.

The audience bursts into rapturous applause, the magician and his distractingly pretty assistant take their bows and we all go home happy.

The big problem with Nolan's film is that, having ambitiously adopted the same structure for the screen...

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